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<br />History of Colorado Water Law: Adaptation 8: Change
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<br />TIlt' Colorddo General Assembly
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<br />Introduction
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<br />C,,-']oTJdl) "",,Ita law ro:sb 1'" J jt>und;l~
<br />lion III \4} YCJr~ III tanldna] Jnd ~IJtc
<br />lav. lhl'~ tm~ pr,II'\: a ha~l,,- prl'p'-hlllon
<br />tirol' ;lnd ,l,:JIn \\",Ita h ,I puhhl re".,UTtC
<br />.md W,IICT 1.1\\ 1'\'l'I\'l'~ Wllh th(' (ust,'m"
<br />,md \'.Ilu.:~ "1th,, pCl'pk
<br />The Stl1rl 1,1 Ll,!"r;ll.!l, watef law l~ l'OC
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<br />TCU:ln:.m J\TTJgC llf In.. Ih.m ]2 m..:hcsllf
<br />pfl:dpltalhln each year In ((mIra,,!. mllun.
<br />1.110\lUS rcglflns m,l\' TI',Tlh' ml'TC than .f('l
<br />\nehl's I'l prtXlpllatWn .mnually The tlm-
<br />lIlg Ilf prl.'Opll.1l111n al.." \'an.:.. throughout
<br />Ihl' yeH RlWTS m,l\" tll1PJ tIlth lhl' rush
<br />,II "prlng snllwmdl I'T LIt) up during hIlt
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<br />\\'(I(('r is a limited n'sourcc, \'itallO Colorado. Tht'
<br />
<br />Colorado CCII'''' oj 1861 rCJ",rrc,' slighlly o",'r 26,000
<br />persol1s. By 2003, thr staf('\ l'o!Jtdatioll had grown to
<br />some -1.-1 millioll. Still, nalllrallimitCltions on Ih(' staIr's
<br />w(ller H"SOUr(('s halT 1101 chaugfd.
<br />
<br />~lf .ldapt;lll'lll Jnd (h,m~t' krrlll'n.ll LI\~
<br />lh;n ..1.Irl...d "Ut l,~ ['!rom,'lt' mLnIn~ Jnd
<br />lrnJ.:.lllllll has Illrnt'd Illl,l ~lalt' law lhOll
<br />"l.'!"'.t's .1 mU]1lIuJt' [If human and ;:nnr,ln~
<br />mt'llIa]Ill','d..
<br />\\'.111'1" b ,1 Imll1cJ TeS<.'unx. \"Il,ll III
<br />(.\,h'r,h.ll' Th" Llllllr;lJ~, Cen..u~ ~,! ll'lt'll
<br />r"PNll'd sh~htly .wl'r 2t..I'I'I' rt'fS<.l!l~ B\
<br />2l'l'"3 Ih", 'l,lll,''; p.'pUI.IlI"n hJ.d ~n'\\"n
<br />t~\ :'>~)]llt' ... ... mllh'lll '1111, nalln;]! hmll.1-
<br />
<br />The Co!oradll General Assembly i!. comprised ollhe H~lUse of Representatives
<br />(65 members) and the Senate 05 members). The C....neral A...'i..'oCmbly meelS 10
<br />regular session from January to mid.~lay each year The House and Sen.ile
<br />CommlltefS on Agncuhure and ~atural ReSl)ultts consider mosl waler-related
<br />legtslallon If sl:ile fundmg IS lll\'oh-cd. the Appropnallons committees of lhe
<br />House and Scn..lte also consideT wJler-relmcd bilts Follow lhe leglslati\"e pro-
<br />C~ and ('\"en hSlen to heanngs and n\Xlr proc(:cdlOgs by \;slIing Ihe General
<br />AssemblY5- \Veb Sill' at \\....\'\\lef:"st.1tc_w.us
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<br />.''lltHull' - A 1,1~\ l'll.kt~d b~ ,1 k~lSla\l\'I'
<br />b,ld~. su.::h .I~ lh,' L ..; C~ll1~rl',;:' ~lr
<br />lh,' C\l],'r,td\l l;I'nt'r;11 :\,;'-l'mbl\
<br />
<br />Rifklri,," - Rckrrmg w I.md llr h.lhl-
<br />1.11 lmme.il;l!dy ad\.llelll III Ih,'
<br />~trc;lm (h.lllnd
<br />
<br />Illm~ .111 th,' st;l\(,"~ waler r.:~,lurll''; ha\-;:
<br />n,ll (.'h.lll~l'd
<br />\I.my .He;I" "t L,']\lrad,l Tn'("I\'C lade
<br />natural prcllpll.lll,m rh,' .1\lT.lgC \T.uly
<br />prcllpu.l1llm In L"lllr,ld,l b :--o.m1,' 1- lll(h-
<br />e:'. allh"ugh ther;: I;; suh~l,lllll;ll v;m,llllm
<br />.1(1",-,.;.. lhe ..1.111' F,'r ;:.'umpl,' the ~,lll LlIl:'>
<br />\"alky ,md p,m... ,It qluth Lt'nlul CI,ll'fad"
<br />
<br />summer.. 1ll1('rTl11'11>d ,llll\' hy lhl' ("CL1-
<br />..1ll1l.ll thundaSlnrm
<br />In Ii~hl .,1 \~;llCr'.. S<.:arllly .mJ \'alul' III
<br />lhl.. ,md regl~'ll, L\I!\lr;ld\l .....,Iler bw must
<br />gll,lr,lnll'l" ..c<..UTlly, J,;;;ure rehahll1\)'. and
<br />(f,'.lle nnthllllY III Ih,' dewl,'pnll'nl ;lnd
<br />Pl\lll'dh,m,,1 W;lll'rrl'.,.,'Uri.l':'>
<br />s..'Ulnt~' r~'<ldt'< III lhl' tlw" ahlllty [{l
<br />ldenllly .md I'Tllll'd w,Il,'r nghb.
<br />Rdlahllny I'; .Is.,urnl by the :;.y"lcms
<br />lOlp,ll"ll\' 10 admllllsln ;lnJ l'nf,lrct'
<br />w.llef n.~hb l'\'l'r 1lI11C. and.
<br />Flc.'\lbihly "1l,,W;; \\,Ila TlJ:ihb III b....
<br />lc.\..cd. l.:h.\ll~ed tr:ll1skrrt'd sold I'l"
<br />l.:\l.:hallJ:il'd
<br />Tnl" LlIl':I'll.; l;uJde IS deSIgned t\l
<br />I'T"\"ld,' ;l l.:,'mpreh,'nslw and hlbnn:d
<br />on'n'l':w ,11 C"l~lr;ld., w;llt'r la\\ It IS I,IT
<br />,>du~;Hh'n.tl purptl:'>l'~ ,mly Jlld 1< Il,ll
<br />Inlt'ndl'd hl ~UhSlIlule f,lr kr:,11 [IT en~i-
<br />nl'l~nn~ JJ\"l(,' rl',I?:ardmg Llll(\faJo w.Il,'r
<br />law ,lr \\.:Iler n~hl~
<br />
<br />Nath.(' Amcrican and
<br />Hispanic Water Uses
<br />\\'akr S,:.:Irl.:ll~' h;t... .11WJ\',; b...'l'1l ;1 l;ld
<br />l~l hie In lh.. .-\ml'n....lS Th,' rd.:lll\Th nl'\\
<br />"":h:::n(C "t I';llellhydn\],'.~ \1.1' thl' .H....hCl,-
<br />111)2.1(;]1 :'>tudy ~lt all\."1l'nl \\;111'1" strunure...'
<br />h,l~ ull<,:,'\l"rcd J1tlhe<_ rl'xrnl\T", .:lnd
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<br />4
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<br />COLO"AOO FOUNDATION ro" WAT!:" EDUCATION
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